This invention relates to flags, and in particular to attaching a flag, windsock holder and/or banner to pole holders for balconies and railings.
Over the years displaying flags has become popular for holidays, showing support for sports teams, and showing patriotism and for acknowledging events, etc. Multilevel apartments, condominiums, and office buildings have balconies that are difficult to display flags from. Many types of devices have been proposed for supporting either or both flags and umbrellas that cannot be used for balconies. For example, ground based devices for supporting flags have included various types of screws and spikes, that are inserted into the ground, and can not be used for balconies. See U.S. Pat. No. 1,736,177 to Snook; U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,678 to Lamson; U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,699 and 5,088,681 both to Perreault et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,889 to Hall et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,607 to Turturro; U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,916 to Boissonnault; U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,130 to Brown; U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,218 to Leonard; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,517 to Willis et al.
Other types of devices have also been proposed for mounting flag poles to other surfaces which are also not practical for use on balconies. The Willis ""517 patent further describes anchor type devices for mounting flags to the sides of walls. Viden ""299 describes a device for mounting flags to moving vehicles such as automobiles.
Few devices exist for easily mounting flag poles to railings especially those found on balconies. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,926 to Trenda et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,856 to Neely et al. each describes a railing mounts for flagsxe2x80x9d, that require clamps to be bolted directly to railings to support the flagpole. However, there are inherent problems to using devices such as Trenda ""926 and Neely ""856. Both patents require the clamp components to directly contact the railings along substantial surface areas that easily cause damage such as but not limited to scratches, nicks, and the like. Additionally both patents have most of the flag poles weight to bear directly on the clamp and associated rail components the clamp is attached to. Thus, the effects of wind, storms, and/or heavy flag poles can also damage the railing components adjacent to the clamps by causing the railings themselves to potentially bend and twist over time. Both patents are limited to supporting the base of the flagpoles. Upper portions of the flagpoles can easily bend and move and are thus not stable when used. Also, none of the cited patents allow for using windsocks to be attached to the flagpoles.
Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems.
A primary objective of the invention is to provide a flagpole holder for balconies that does not damage railings and associated components on the balcony.
A secondary objective of the invention is to provide a flagpole holder for balconies that does not bear the weight of the flagpole on the railing.
A third objective of the invention is to provide a flagpole holder for balconies that allows the floor of the balconies to carry the weight of the flagpole.
A fourth objective of the invention is to provide a flagpole holder for balconies that provides for stability along the entire length of the flagpole.
A fifth objective of the invention is to provide a flagpole holder for balconies that does not require any clamps, and bolts to be used.
A sixth objective of the invention is to provide a flagpole holder for balconies that can easily be assembled and disassembled.
A seventh objective of the invention is to provide a flagpole holder for balconies that allows either or both a flag and a windsock to be supported thereon.
A preferred embodiment of the flag pole holder for railings includes a structure such as a balcony, deck, porch, and stairwell having a hand railing about a portion of the structure, a longitudinal pole having an upper end portion and a lower end portion, the longitudinal pole being attached to the hand railing, and at least one of a flag, a banner, and/or a windsock attached to the upper end portion of the pole, wherein the end portion of the pole is substantially supported by a floor portion of the structure.
The holder can include a second pole connected by an angled connector to the longitudinal pole where the second pole supports the flag, banner, and/or windsock, to overhang outside the structure. The second pole can include two poles telescoping extendable to one another with a locking screw locking a selected extension position. A loop end on the upper telescoping pole allows at least one of the flag, the banner, and the windsock to be attached thereto. Lines attached to the holder allow for the holder to be attached to the adjacent handrail(s) for stabilizing the holder in a selected position, and preventing the holder from twisting and moving over time.